The blank requires a verb that denotes the impact created by 'plastics' on 'soil nutrients'. 'Accumulating' (gather together or acquire an increasing number or quantity of), 'demanding' (require; need) and 'converting' (change the form, character, or function of something) are contextually irrelevant words and so they are negated. Option (b), 'inhibiting' (hinder, restrain, or prevent (an action or process)) is the most appropriate word, that aptly matches the context of the sentence and thus can fill the blank.
Hence, the correct answer is option (b).
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